I Became a Sick Nobleman

Shrrk.

Ruel frowned at the sound of the curtain being lifted and the sunlight pouring in.

His body felt heavy, as if it were Monday morning and he had to go to work.

‘After purifying the black-blooded man and returning to Setiria, I can’t remember what happened afterwards.’

It was obvious.

He must have passed out.

—Ruel, Ruel. Are you awake?

Ruel had no choice but to open his eyes at the sound of Leo’s lively voice.

How does he manage to draw the curtains with those short legs? 

The spirits eagerly approached him, expressing their joy at seeing him. 

Ruel petted them in response and soon felt a tingling sensation in his palm, realizing there was an IV inserted there.

—Fran attached it while you were sleeping.

“How long did I sleep?”

He didn’t know how long he slept, but he was very hungry. Leo glanced at his front paws and then gestured with them.

Ruel’s frown deepened as he observed Leo’s short front paws.

“Did I sleep for 10 days?”

—Well, this body can’t say for sure. It might have been longer than that.

Ruel became anxious when he heard Leo say that he may have slept more than 10 days.

“Cassion.”

“Ah, are you awake?” Cassion said it with a faint smile as he stepped out of the shadows.

Ruel hurriedly asked, “How long was I asleep?”

“It’s only been about four days, so don’t worry about it,” Cassion reassured him.

Upon hearing this, Ruel finally relaxed his body and inhaled Breath. 

Four days wasn’t too bad. 

He grabbed hold of Leo’s tail, noticing the sparkle in his eyes. 

‘You really know how to startle people.’

—Hmph!

Leo growled and immediately pounced on Ruel’s arm as soon as he let go of his tail. 

—You naughty hand! This body didn’t do anything wrong!

Leo’s bite didn’t hurt, so Ruel let him go and turned to Cassion.

“What is the situation of the Royal Family and other territories?”

“They apprehended the rebels within the Royal Family who were attempting to escape through a secret passage, and the other five household heads are focusing on capturing them as well,” Cassion replied.

“Was there an attack on Setiria?”

“Yes, they attacked the villages of Apor and Sisel. We immediately activated the defense mechanisms and successfully subdued the enemy after a minor battle.”

It was to be expected. 

The Red Ash couldn’t remain quiet. 

Ruel asked cautiously, “Did any black-blooded men appear during the battle?”

“Yes, they did, but thankfully they weren’t the same ones as the ones from Sylvia. Their numbers were small, so we didn’t suffer major damage.”

Ruel’s expression darkened.

Whether they drank black water out of despair during the battle or intentionally, black-blooded men had appeared in Setiria again.

“It seems that my situation, or rather, the situation within the Red Ash, has changed. They are about to break their silence and make their move.”

Perhaps Adoris’ words to him were coming true.

Anyway, since they had successfully subdued the black-blooded man sent by the enemy, it meant that even stronger and more numerous enemies would appear in the future.

Just the thought made his head throb.

“What else do I need to know now?”

“His Highness Banios requested that you contact him once you wake up. Work has begun on rebuilding the village in Sylvia again.”

Ruel smiled at Cassion’s final report.

It was the first village he had established, and he vividly remembered the anger he felt when it was destroyed by the black-blooded men.

It still felt like the lip Ruel had bitten back then was hurting. 

“I’ll call Fran. I’ll go to the kitchen to prepare a meal. Call me anytime if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

Ruel answered Cassion’s words and patted Leo’s stomach.

There was the sound of the door opening and closing.

Ruel glanced at Leo.

‘Anyway, it’s been four days, and I don’t think he’s cried.’

—This body didn’t cry.

Ruel flinched, as if his thoughts had been read.

—This body has made up its mind not to cry over trivial things anymore. This body still doesn’t like it when Ruel sleeps, but this body is fine because it checks Ruel’ heartbeat every time!

Leo raised his nose high and stretched out his short front paws. 

Immediately, his tail began wagging, and he raised his head towards Ruel’s face.

—Are you okay now, Ruel? Are you not sad anymore?

“Maybe?”

First and foremost, with most of the Red Ash driven out of Leponia, Ruel could feel somewhat relieved.

—This body is always happy to see Ruel. This body hopes you won’t experience anything sad again.

Every time Ruel looked into Leo’s sincere green eyes, he found it impossible to lie.

“Yeah, I hope so too.”

Knock. Knock.

Fran cautiously opened the door and met Ruel’s gaze. 

She quickly rushed to stand in front of him.

“Ruel-nim…”

Fran looked at Ruel with a face that seemed like she would burst into tears at any moment.

“I was worried. Very much so. I heard from the butler that you’ve experienced something like this before, but I never saw it with my own eyes.”

Tierra, who approached silently, quickly bowed her head when she saw Ruel’s gaze and handed a handkerchief to Fran. 

Tears fell from Fran’s eyes onto the handkerchief.

‘Did she really cry?’

Ruel was taken aback.

Cassion didn’t say anything, but it seemed like he had a seizure, vomited blood, or other things while he was unconscious.

Fran sat down, wiping away her tears with a handkerchief.

“I wonder if I should have stopped you, Ruel-nim. Should I have prioritized the fact that you were a patient before a patriarch? I really regretted it.”

—Fran had cried a lot, not just today. This body doesn’t know what happened because Cassion kept pushing this body away.

Leo rubbed his head and then whispered softly.

—This body tried to stay hidden, but Cassion’s promise of ice cream was seducing. This body couldn’t resist the ice cream.

Something must have really happened. 

“I’m sorry.”

Ruel sincerely apologized.

“If you really feel sorry for me…”

Fran, who had been quietly examining with her head down, raised her head.

She stared at Ruel with a piercing gaze.

‘Then so be it.’

Lord was Lord, and life was life.

Fran spoke with the same intense gaze.

“Please take some time to rest. While you have improved from your comatose state, your overall health has significantly deteriorated. It’s as if the illness has ravaged your body.”

Although he took the reins of the black-blooded man, it seemed to be due to the backlash that arose due to his failure to take the control and the purification that the shadow carried out arbitrarily.

“… hmm.”

Ruel couldn’t answer hastily and soon asked carefully.

“How long does ‘some time’ refer to?”

“You need to rest for at least a week.”

“I’ll try.”

“Understood. Is there anything else uncomfortable?

Ruel said, shaking his head.

“Everywhere else is fine.”

“Great.”

Fran smiled and scribbled something in her notebook.

“Please take your medicine well. The IV should not be removed yet. I’ll come back later and take it out. You must eat your meal slowly and chew it thoroughly.”

“I understand.”

After answering, Ruel inhaled Breath.

Fran stood up and placed an IV on the magic tool Tiera handed her.

It floated in the air, seemingly not needing him to push it.

After Fran left, Ruel got up and went outside.

—Where are you going?

Leo happily followed Ruel’s side, playfully tapping his feet as if jumping in place. 

Even the spirits followed, looking very excited. 

After making sure there was no one around, Ruel whispered softly, “I’m hungry. I plan to go to the restaurant and have some snacks before the meal.”

—This body too! Give this body too!

“Yes, you should eat too.”

—This body is excited! This body can eat anything.

‘Ah.’

Ruel paused for a moment and looked at Leo. 

Had Leo not eaten anything while he was asleep? 

“Would you like to eat something black first?” 

—This body ate while Ruel was sleeping! 

Leo spoke so confidently that Ruel couldn’t even get angry. 

Since Ruel knew from the start that he was an endless source of food for Leo, did it really matter whether he fainted or not? 

Ruel let out a laugh and then inhaled Breath.

“…My lord!” 

Although it was the usual path to the restaurant, the reactions of the servants who made eye contact with Ruel were different this time. 

It was as if they were seeing a ghost.

“Don’t mind me and continue with your tasks.” 

Ruel calmly opened his mouth as usual in response to the stares he felt while walking. 

“Is it alright for you to be wandering around like this?”

“Where did you leave your cane? Shall I fetch it for you, my lord?” 

“Where did Cassion go?” 

As one cautiously spoke, the others followed suit, opening their mouths. 

Overwhelmed by the sudden rush of voices, Ruel grabbed onto a wall and closed his eyes tightly. 

He felt a momentary dizziness, as if vertigo had struck.

“Are you okay?” 

Before the servants could continue speaking one after another, Ruel held out his palm. 

The hallway quickly fell silent. 

“It’s fine, as you can see. No need to shout.”

The servants hurriedly covered their mouths. 

Ruel was about to tell them there was no need for that, but he let it go when he saw the worried expressions on their faces. 

Instead, he smiled broadly at them and continued walking down the hallway.

—Everyone was waiting for Ruel to wake up. 

Walking side by side, Leo spoke joyfully. 

More than half of the servants were people who had been there since Trino Setiria, and the rest were people Ruel had saved. 

He knew they were grateful to him, but they worried too much. 

They worried about him from the beginning, even when he was just walking around. 

‘I’m not made of glass, you know.’

—This body is so glad that this body is not the only one worried about Ruel!

Leo kept chattering happily until they reached the restaurant. 

Ruel silently listened to the chatter and the chorus-like sound of the spirits that followed, finding the sound rather pleasant.

***

Knock. Knock.

After a light knock, Cassion entered Ruel’s room with a tray of snacks. 

Soon, Cassion frowned. 

After the meal, Ruel had been wandering around the mansion, but now he was quietly working in his room. 

When Noah briefly visited Ruel’s room, he seemed to have taken some documents from Billo’s room. 

“I heard that you stumbled for a moment while walking in the hallway. It’s been a while since you woke up, so why don’t you get some rest?”

“I was just going to finish this and then I’ll rest.”

Cassion knew that those words were lies.

If Ruel really wanted to rest, he wouldn’t have brought a pile of paperwork that reached up to his shoulders. 

Cassion thought about stopping Ruel, but decided against it.

After all, Ruel was the type to wear earplugs and ignore others’ advice.

“Ruel-nim, your precious…”

“Shut up.”

Cassion couldn’t finish his sentence, but he felt relieved to see Ruel’s flustered expression.

Leo seemed to have gone to play with Aris again.

“Ruel-nim.”

Ruel glared at Cassion as before when he spoke.

“Have you contacted His Highness Banios?”

“No, I was just about to finish this.” 

Ruel put down the pen and inhaled Breath. 

As he tried to grip the pen again, his wrist went numb, so he shook it.

“What happened to the person who was taken from the Red House in Luruan?”

Banios had taken charge of the people captured by Luruan, excluding those brought by Cassion, declaring it was the Royal Family’s responsibility. 

Since there had been no contact since then, Ruel didn’t know what had happened afterward. 

“They say he’s doing much better.”

“Other than that, who is he?”

“I don’t know. He was the only one whose information was erased.”

“Only him?”

Ruel’s mouth curled up, a sign that he found something interesting. 

“What do you think, Cassion?”

“My guess is that he was of noble status. Occasionally, I saw characteristic behaviors that only nobles exhibit.”

“The Kingdom of Kran is quite far, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s a bit far.”

Ruel expressed his disappointment at Cassion’s prompt answer, which lacked any hesitation. There seemed to be a connection with the Kran Kingdom.

However, to unfold the stage for the Royal Family, he couldn’t send the shadows out just yet, so they were temporarily at a standstill. 

Ruel knew it was time to start making slow moves, but there were several difficulties ahead. 

Firstly, the Kran Kingdom was even farther away than Cyronian, and Ruel had no knowledge of it.

Once again, he found himself without someone he could trust and rely on like Ganien.

“It’s not impossible. It will take some time.”

At Cassion’s following words, Ruel’s ears perked up momentarily before hesitating.

As the shadows were sent out, Ruel’s reach in Leponia decreased.

Ruel hesitated at the realization, then spoke.

“I see.”

He knew that the missing pieces could be filled in by his Bird.

“Alright, we will begin the investigation immediately,” Cassion said. 

Cassion set down a plate of snacks and tea that he had brought, and Ruel immediately grabbed a cookie.

Crunch.

“Well then, I’ll be going now.”

“Okay.” 

Ruel waved his hand and took a sip of his tea. 

Then, instead of picking up the pen to continue with his paperwork, he hurriedly looked for Cassion. 

However, Cassion had already left.

‘Damn it.’

He had taken everything with him except for the documents Ruel had been reviewing.

What a waste of power.

Ruel quickly got up and went outside, but of course, he couldn’t find any trace of Cassion.

Kuroo kuru.

The spirits gathered around him, as if to comfort him.

“It’s okay. Go and play.”

In a moment of anger, he almost considered chasing after the spirits to see where they would go when they grew up, but he stopped himself.

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